An ambitious new conservation project that will create and restore river woodlands across Scotland is now underway, thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Riverwoods Blueprint Project is being led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, alongside partners Fisheries Management Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland, Tweed Forum, Kyle of Sutherland Rivers Trust and Spey Catchment Initiative and Buglife.
There are over 125,000km of rivers and streams in Scotland, however a recent survey showed that only 13% of riverside habitats are in good condition. This has led to a decline in important freshwater wildlife such as Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and the critically endangered freshwater pearl mussel.
During the project, three partner organisations – the Spey Catchment Initiative, Tweed Forum and Kyle of Sutherland Rivers Trust – will create and restore at least 100ha of river woodlands, involving the planting of at least 110,000 trees. The work undertaken in these demonstration areas will act as a blueprint for future conservation projects across Scotland.
Riverwoods will also offer a grant scheme to provide financial support for the design of at least nine other river woodland creation plans.
Moreover, the project will develop an online library and toolkit in partnership with Fisheries Management Scotland and Woodland Trust Scotland, giving communities and land managers access to practical resources in order to inform and inspire further river woodland restoration work.
Sarah Robinson, Director of Conservation at the Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “Along with our partners, we’re absolutely thrilled that our ambitious Riverwoods project can now get underway. The generous funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will allow us to work with communities to protect and enhance our precious river woodland habitats. River woodlands are the green arteries of our ecosystem and in good condition can provide a wealth of benefits, including flood protection, improved water quality and safe places for our wildlife to thrive.”
Alan Wells, Chief Executive of Fisheries Management Scotland, said: “We are delighted that Riverwoods is moving forward to the delivery phase thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The online resources will serve as a vital hub for innovation, collaboration and knowledge sharing, with the potential to transform river woodland restoration across Scotland. By equipping land managers, practitioners, and communities with the tools to design, fund, and deliver projects more effectively, we can help ensure the long-term health of our river ecosystems—critical for the survival of species like the wild Atlantic salmon.”
As well as delivering practical conservation work, the project also aims to reconnect communities across Scotland with their river woodlands. This will be achieved through over 1,000 volunteer days of tree-planting, the development a citizen science programme for monitoring wildlife and numerous community outreach events.
£1.83 million of funding for Riverwoods has been provided by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. To mark the milestone, the Fund have announced £30 million of funding to support a host of new projects across the UK.
Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “The Riverwoods Blueprint is a wonderful project protecting precious riverside habitats and demonstrates the breadth of heritage that people value and want to pass onto future generations. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players over the last 30 years, we have worked with those who care for heritage and helped transform the UK’s heritage landscape, contributing to communities and the economy.
“Our funding benefits all parts of the heritage ecosystem, including visitors, volunteers and the communities which surround it, and I cannot wait to see what the future brings as we work to deliver our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.”
Rebecca Lewis, Buglife’s Scotland and Northern Ireland Manager, said: “This is an excellent result for our rivers, the communities that they touch and the invertebrates that require a healthy, resilient ecosystem to survive. We are looking forwards to getting started”
To find out more, visit riverwoods.org.uk.
Main Image Credit: Rebecca Lewis carrying out a freshwater invertebrate survey on the river Deveron, Beldorney estate. The survey was conducted by Buglife to assess the health of the river. © Scotland: The Big Picture
